Arsenal boss wants Premier League priority over FA Cup

The Gunners face Everton this Saturday in the FA Cup just three days before they face European champions Bayern Munich away at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening in the second leg of their Champions League last sixteen tie.

FA Cup fixtures, replays aside, are ordinarily scheduled for weekend’s but often clash with previously arranged Premier League games which, subsequently, have to be postponed.

However, the Arsenal manager has asserted his belief the Premier League should take priority over the FA Cup, suggesting those ties should be played in midweek instead.

"At the moment we postpone games in the Premier League later on in the season when they clash with the FA Cup. That can lead to unfairness in the league season,”he explained.

"What I would think about is not moving Premier League games to make time for the FA Cup.”

"What I would do instead is move the cup game to midweek rather than the league game. I believe that sort of thing would be an interesting change," added Wenger.

Arsenal’s previous clash this term with Coventry was controversially scheduled for a Friday evening which led supporter groups to complain that the travelling fans were disadvantaged by the timing of the game at the Emirates.

This is not the first occasion the French coach has criticised the scheduling of matches – he has complained previously about the international friendly scheduling, the lack of a winter break in the Premier League, and the advantage given to Chelsea this term with more time to rest and prepare between games.

Perhaps his comments hint at where the manager’s priority for Arsenal’s season lies – Wenger has been known to prioritise the Champions League ahead of domestic competitions in the past and with their upcoming trip to Munich to face the Bundesliga champions who hold a two-goal lead over the North Londoners, these comments suggest Wenger will rest some key players and rotate his squad this weekend.

Jenny Leigh

Jennifer is a freelance writer and filmmaker from London with a great passion for football - the game, the business, and the culture. Jennifer hopes to provide readership with a high standard of news, analysis, and opinion over a range of football events, stories, and issues.